“He’s Got a Screw Loose”- Michael Chandler Calls Out Tony Ferguson for a Fight

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler spoke to the media going into UFC 254 where he serves as the main event alternate. The headliner for the highly anticipated pay-per-view is a lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. The bout is being held up as a legacy match-up and will undoubtedly bolster the winner’s profile tremendously.

Additionally, there are several elite lightweight contenders chomping at the bit to get their crack at gold. The UFC’s 155-pound division has long since been a shark-tank where the talent runs deep. One such perennial contender is Tony Ferguson, who was the interim lightweight champion.

‘El Cucuy’ was on a 12-fight unbeaten run until he finally fell to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. Ferguson was violently battered until the referee called the fight whilst Tony was still standing. Ever since then, he has been trying to make his way back into contention but hasn’t received a suitable booking.

Michael Chandler takes aim at Tony Ferguson

Calling out Tony Ferguson isn’t something many lightweight fighters do, however, Chandler is looking to make a big splash. The former multiple time Bellator champion will be keen to make himself known to casual fans across the globe. As it stands, his reach remains largely within the MMA community itself.

‘Iron’ said, “This is the fight game where the fight promoters do the matchmaking but yeah, conventional wisdom would say that the top four guys are booked right now. That leaves Tony Ferguson. He’s been vocal about me and said some things about me, so obviously he knows that a fight is looming. I think that’s a logical best choice, either I am who I say I am, or I’m not. We’ll find out pretty quick against who I think is the scariest guy in the division- ‘El Cucuy’.”

Chandler labels Tony Ferguson as a scary guy to fight

What’s more, he detailed the factors that stood out to him about a fight with Ferguson. He said that it was a “scary fight” but also saw the potential to gain massive visibility from a win.

“He’s got a screw loose, he fights like it. He’s a scary guy to fight so what better way to introduce the UFC fans to who I am then to go out against Tony Ferguson, a perennial top guy, a guy who just lost his first fight a couple of months ago and he was on a 12-fight win streak before that. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to go out there, show my skill set. It’s a scary fight, probably get into a war, show my gall, show my heart, and introduce the UFC fans to who I am.”

There is no doubt that a victory over Tony Ferguson would solidify his status at the very top of the division. Neither the fans nor the media would be in a position to question his claim towards a shot at undisputed UFC gold. Do you see the UFC booking Michael Chandler against Tony Ferguson?